Testimonials or Prayer Requests
Our regular Sunday morning gatherings have started again. Please monitor this site for updates to the meeting location. Please remember to wear masks and stay at a safe & healthy distance. Our service will also be available via an online WEBCAST later during the day or Monday.
Our usual board meetings will continue as scheduled but in the form of ZOOM meetings and attendees should receive an invitation via email from the board chairs before every meeting.
LADIES BIBLE STUDY (not meeting 7/22)
WHEN:: Wednesdays at 10am
WHERE: via Zoom
Contact Carol Rataj for details
PASTOR’S BIBLE STUDY (not meeting over summer)
WHEN:: Thursdays at 7pm
WHERE: via Zoom
Contact pastor Rick for details
One great benefit of this presidential election is that it may cure Bible believing Christians of putting their hope for change in political action. It certainly has done that for me. I wish there was a “none of the above” line on the ballot. Daniel the prophet had a vision that is so relevant for us. He saw a huge dazzling statue that represented human civilization. Its head was of gold, its chest and arm was sliver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. the differences in composition represented a series of four kingdoms which would rule the known world. Then he saw a rock cut out of a mountain but not by human hands. The rock struck the statue’s feet and the statue collapsed, disintegrated into dust and was blown away by the wind. Then the stone grew and became a mountain that dominated the earth. Daniel gives this interpretation: “In the days of those kings (the fourth kingdom i.e. Rome), the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed….It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever….”
During the Roman empire our Lord Jesus inaugurated his rule by defeating the power of sin and Satan on the cross and now rules as Lord. He is advancing the rule of God through his people the Church one conversion at a time. The governments of this world, no matter how good, will be supplanted by Jesus’ Rule. His kingdom is our only hope and the world’s only hope. So this election has made my need to focus on that all the more clear. It has also shown me the importance and urgency of our work for Christ in this world. We are representatives of his rule, pointing people to his grace by what we do and what we say.
At the intersection of Faith, Food and Fun
At the One Way Café we’ve cooked up 5 days of healthy
Bible lessons, incredible crafts, good-tasting games and
scrumptious snacks —all meant to help your kids taste
and see that the Lord is good. The One Way Café menu
includes generous portions of God’s Word and plates
piled high with activities that meet the minimum daily
requirements to build strong hearts and minds. Each day
kids are sure to leave hungry for more!
So if you’re looking for a place for your children to enjoy
some great dining—all while learning about God’s truth,
cooperation, teamwork and relationships—make sure
they swing by the One Way Café.
WHEN: July 11 – 15 (10am – 1pm)
WHERE: First Baptist Church Lebanon
Sign up NOW!
Congratulations to our Graduates!
The development team is excited to announce the launch of the newly designed website. It has been in the works for over a year and it has some exciting new features and lots of potential for growth. this is just the starting point and some of the key new functionalities are:
Please send us your thoughts and ideas. We love to hear from you.
We just returned from an awesome Deep Freeze weekend at Camp Berea. 20 youth from First Baptist made the trip this year for an amazing couple of days of worship, teaching, dodge ball, volleyball, basketball, carpet ball, archery . . . well you get the idea! What a great speaker this year (Stuart Hall) and in-house band (OBB). If you see us . . . ask us about the weekend!
Jesus Himself said:
“It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.”
As a young boy I never fully understand why Jesus made the Acts 20:13 statement. It just doesn’t make any sense to be more satisfying when you Give than when you Receive, does it? Today’s culture teaches fulfillment comes from achievements and to be successful on a variety of fronts. Success is typically measures in how well we performed academically, financially and by what we drive and where we live. We always seem to be striving for more and more because for some reason having we think that by having the “goods” we will be happy. For kids few things beat their birthdays or Christmas time. So many gifts and presents and we’re treated extra “special”. Receiving these gifts seems to be the logical source of happiness and the more we get the happier we will become.
As the years went by it dawned on me that happiness just wasn’t found in the things and in accumulating more wealth. I’ve noticed on the other hand that the givers were in fact the ones filled with joy rather than the recipients. What I discovered was this:
The essence of our call to follow Jesus is found in Matthew 16:24. If someone wants to follow Jesus, he/she needs to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. Jesus was the perfect example for us. Are you ready to follow Jesus? Simply lay aside your wants and start by dying more and trying less? Live an Intentional life daily asking the Lord daily to send someone you way that you can bless.
“It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.” Acts 20:13
Let’s be servants of the Lord. Not trying harder today but rather dying more today!
Lets be filled by the Spirit while running on Empty.
